C6 Saturday, February 16, 2019
Stevens SWCD 2018 Annual Review
The Stevens County Times
CRP continues to work
Judy Johnston, Education Coordinator at Stevens SWCD, shared with students how to look at macro invertebrates under the microscope.
Pope & Stevens County Water Fest in 13th year On September 14, 2018, over 300 sixth grade students and teachers from Pope and Stevens counties attended the 13th Annual Pope & Stevens County Water Fest. Students from Minnewaska, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, Morris Area Elementary, St. Mary’s, Hancock, and Glacial Hills attended
this year’s event, which was held at the Pope County Fairgrounds in Glenwood. The students were involved in a day of hands-on learning about the water cycle, rainfall simulators, water conservation, macro invertebrates, and aquatic intruders. They participated in activities called
Bubbleology, Incredible Journey and the Lake Game. The presenters were from various agencies including the Science Museum of Minnesota, Pope & Stevens Soil & Water Conservation Districts, Middle Fork Watershed, MPCA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, North Fork Crow
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a voluntary program that landowners can sign up for to protect environmentally sensitive land. Conservation cover in the form of grass, forbs, shrubs or trees is planted to help reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and enhance wildlife habitat. This program can be beneficial to both the landowner and the environment, especially when it comes to problem areas. The FY2019 Continuous CRP signup included both new contracts and re-enrollments on about 1,055 acres. SWCD and NRCS staff worked closely with landowners to plan CRP contract proposals and to revise plans for re-enrollment offers, making sure to consider field operations and
overall function of each CRP site. Many of the new contracts aimed to fulfill requirements of the MN Buffer Law by planning for a filter strip (CP21) adjacent to a watercourse or body of water. The most common practice used in this signup was the filter strip, followed by wetland restoration practices (CP27/28, CP23, CP23a), and duck nesting habitat (CP37). Unfortunately, because of the national CRP acreage cap, there were several practices unavailable for use including tree windbreaks and shelter belts (CP5a, CP16a) as well as SAFE/ pheasant habitat (CP38e). If you have any interest in CRP, we recommend that you stop in or call our office at (320) 5894886 to discuss available opportunities.
River Watershed District, and the Glenwood DNR office. It is truly a fun day of learning about our natural resources. The event is funded by many local businesses of Stevens and Pope counties, along with Agri Cooperative and the comprehensive local water plan of both counties.
Wetland Conservation Act – for Tiling, Mitigating, or Wetland Banking What is the state law? The Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) is a state law that regulates the activities that result in the draining, filling, or excavating of wetlands in Minnesota, including those on agricultural land. WCA is administered by local government units; in rural areas this is usually the County Soil and Water Conservation District
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(SWCD). SWCDs also provide technical assistance to landowners. Federal and Minnesota laws were enacted a couple decades ago to address the draining and filling of wetland areas. Both sets of laws rely on the knowledge and actions of landowners to assure compliance with their requirements. It is important for agricultural producers to be aware of these regulations in order to limit their risk. Landowners need to know that just because you’re in compliance with one program doesn’t always mean that you’re in compliance with others. What should you do before you start a project? 1. Complete an “AD1026” form at your local USDA office. 2. Bring a copy of your AD1026 to the WCA
Administrator and explain what you plan to do. If you are interested in tiling, mitigating or putting some previously drained acres into the wetland bank, the WCA Administrator can advise you if your project is allowed under WCA or if you need to submit an application to the local government. Involving the WCA Administrator from the beginning is the easiest and best way to avoid problems. Request a field visit by the WCA administrator. This can help identify regulated wetlands on your property, and regulations that could affect your project. Many wetlands do not contain standing water or are only saturated for part of the year, and can be difficult for landowners to identify. If you need a contractor, make sure they submit a “Contractor Lia-
bility Form”. Contractors who conduct projects that will impact a wetland are required to notify the local government. The Contractor Responsibility and Landowner Statement From is available at www. bwsr.state.mn.us/wetlands/forms and must be mailed to the local government prior to starting work. Communication is the key! Compliance with USDA (Swamp buster) does not mean compliance with other wetland laws. A quick call or stop at your SWCD office prior to beginning your project will help you comply with the laws and save a project from potential additional costs and delays. The WCA contact for Stevens County is Matt Solemsaas, District Administrator at Stevens SWCD. If you have any questions stop by or call (320)589-4886 ext 112.
Student helps SWCD plant trees Tyler Buss is a junior at Morris Area High School. He worked for Stevens SWCD in the summer of 2018 helping our District Technicians with planting trees and mowing. Tyler also worked on grass plantings and rain garden installations. He enjoys the outdoors, hunting, fishing, and his favorite pastime is snowmobiling with family and friends.
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(320) 585-2112 • (320) 585-6029 001831197r1